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A review by vivamonty
The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker, Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and the Epic Age of Flight by Winston Groom
4.0
An entertaining and informative jaunt through a very exciting time in history. Groom is a master storyteller who capably spins three biographies into one, using each thread to tell the larger story of early aviation. I was often on the edge of my seat, enthralled with the story's tension and blown away by the feats of courage it brings to life.
One semi-problematic fault though: Groom too often flutters close to hero worship, choosing to focus almost entirely on the aviators' heroic qualities while diminishing their wrinkles. Flattery is not innately problematic, but it's difficult to argue that Groom offers a thorough biography of Lindbergh (for example) when he brushes off his anti-semitism and elects not to mention his devotion to eugenics. That said, there is something to be said about Groom's insistence that the blemishes in these men's characters should not draw our attention too fully away from their invaluable contributions.
One semi-problematic fault though: Groom too often flutters close to hero worship, choosing to focus almost entirely on the aviators' heroic qualities while diminishing their wrinkles. Flattery is not innately problematic, but it's difficult to argue that Groom offers a thorough biography of Lindbergh (for example) when he brushes off his anti-semitism and elects not to mention his devotion to eugenics. That said, there is something to be said about Groom's insistence that the blemishes in these men's characters should not draw our attention too fully away from their invaluable contributions.